Round 2: The King of Queens

I started at SIG in the summer of 2010 as an Assistant Trader Intern and currently work out of the Bala office as an Equity Options Trader. I began playing poker in middle school when the World Series of Poker became popular on TV, but really honed my skills in SIG’s Trading Class. I’d describe my style as tight and aggressive. I am very into fantasy sports and enjoy playing tennis, golf, and ultimate frisbee.

After a relatively smooth Round 1 where I only had to survive one all-in hand, I was eager to play Round 2, which I expected to be more of a challenge. I started Round 2 with 4000 in chips, which was an average-sized stack. The starting blinds were 100-200, so I knew it was imperative to play my hands aggressively. After folding almost all of my hands and seeing a flop or two, I was down to 1500 in chips, which is a testament to how quickly you can bleed away in this tournament. In under-the-gun position, I was dealt pocket Queens and decided to push all-in. The whole table folded until the action was on the big blind, who decided to call my all-in bet. I was disheartened when he flipped over pocket Kings, essentially sealing my fate. My only hope was to make Trips with one of the two remaining Queens. The Queen didn’t hit on the flop, turn, or river, and I was eliminated from the tournament. Unfortunately, my Round 2 did not last too long, about a half-hour to be exact, but there’s always next year!